The Air Force has chosen its first female officer to take command of a fighter wing.

Officials say in a statement that Col. Jeannie Leavitt will take command of the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro in a ceremony scheduled for June 1.

Leavitt was the first U.S. woman to enter combat training as a fighter pilot and was the service's first mission-qualified female fighter pilot. She was also the first female to graduate from the Air Force Weapons School and went on to become an instructor there. She has logged more than 2,500 hours in the F-15 Strike Eagle.

Leavitt takes over from Col. Patrick Doherty, who will handle Air Force assignments at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.